Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Hey everyone! I' m coming to you today with my first "real" fitness related post!! Although I have been known to be more interested in the research aspect of fitness (aka Pinterest) I have strongly connected to Yoga! I find that yoga is wonderful for the fitness and health of not only your body but your mind and soul as well! And I'm all about that.

Yoga is a great way to get in some exercise while simultaneously relaxing your body. Anyone can do it and it's easy to start off with simple poses and work your way up. Admittedly, I'm still pretty much a novice when it comes to the complicated poses, but I still find it extremely rewarding and something I'd like to make a part of my daily routine.

So far, I've come to realize that there are certain things you need to have an outstanding yoga experience! That's where this post comes in! I'm going to share with you my Yoga Essentials:

1. Comfortable, Fitted Clothes

They make yoga specific clothes for a reason. Trying to do downward dog in a baggy t-shirt is a total nightmare. I like to call it "the turtle effect." Anyway, I find it best to wear a pair of yoga pants or leggings with a fitted active top. Also, the stretchier the better. You want to give yourself a full range of movement and flexibility. Here are some of my favorites!

If you're going to be staring at it for some time, better make sure its cute! More importantly, make sure it works for you. There are several types of mats you can get. There's the most common vinyl mats that come in all different colors. Then there are yoga blankets or towels that are made with fabric. I have one of each and use them in different situations. For me I find that I tend to slide on my vinyl mat, and I get a better grip on the fabric one. But that's just me! I came across a great guide to picking the right mat for you from the Gaiam blog. I find them to be a trustworthy source, since they are a well respected company in the yoga/fitness community. Check it out! Below, is a towel similar to mine from Spiritual Gangster!

Spiritual Gangster Magic Carpet Yoga Towel in Sky Blue

3. H2O

One of the most important things when doing any kind of exercise is staying hydrated! Depending on the type of yoga you're doing, you'll probably work up a sweat. So I always make sure I have a bottle of water by my side! Especially Resource Natural Spring Water. It's the perfect addition to a great yoga session! It comes from 100% natural spring water, is packed with electrolytes, and it's packaging is made of 50% recycled plastic. So not only are you getting naturally hydrated, the bottle is eco friendly! Plus, it tastes great! I'm not a big water drinker, simply because I don't love the taste. But I find Resource to have a different taste that just sits better with me than tap water or other bottled waters. It's very smooth and I love it! Much thanks to Influenster for sending it for me to try out! Learn more on their website!

4. Pretty Toes

Whether you're doing your yoga at home or in a class, your little piggies will be on display! Plus, they are a key factor in practicing yoga correctly! So make sure you take care of your feet and have some cute polish that will make you smile! Consider getting a pedicure, or doing one at home! Here's the polish I'm wearing now!

Nicole by O.P.I. in Feeling Very Cherry

5. A Great Teacher

The only way you're going to become an experienced yogi/yogini is by learning from the best!! Find a class at your gym, a local yoga studio, or check out some online classes! There are paid classes, apps, and even some free videos on YouTube! I've compiled some of my favorites in my YouTube Yoga playlist, which I will link you to HERE if you wan to check it out!

So those are my top five yoga essentials!! I hope you find this useful and informative! What are your essentials? How do you yoga? Let's talk about it in the comments!! Also, below are my Fitness Gear and Yoga Pinterest boards!

Monday, October 20, 2014

So I want to take the first post of the "Let's Talk About This..." series to talk about some life subjects. I used to blog back in the day on the website Xanga (ohhh Xanga...) where I would just write basically a journal. I'd write about things that were bothering me and about what I did that day. Writing about something that's on my mind usually makes me feel 1000 times better and knowing that someone anonymous might be hearing me out is just an oddly comforting thing. Long story short, I thought that through this series I could get some things off my chest while also giving helpful advice and maybe even some witty anecdotes, ;)

So for this post I want to talk about friendships. And I don't mean in the cheesy way it sounds. I mean, the actual relationships you make with the people who become your friends.

There are a lot of different types of friendships, as I've learned in my ripe 23 years. I have friends that have been in my life for a very long time, but who I hardly see. Yet, we'd do anything for each other and when we do see each other, we pick up right where we left off. My best friend lives many miles away from me, yet we talk regularly and are prominent in each other's lives. These are examples of wonderful friendships that I currently have. Then there are also bad friendships. People who may be fun to hang out with but are self centered and don't really care enough to listen to your problems or motivate you to do your homework, etc. Friendships like these are shallow and don't usually last. I've had a lot of friendships that ended pretty badly. But I've learned to let the negative people go for my own betterment.

But I digress. What I really want to talk about is the "yes man" of friends. I have a friend who is wonderful. He's fun to hang out with, is genuine, caring and one of the best friend's I've had. However, he is a "yes man." He has so many friends that every time one (or more) of them wants to hang out, it's always a yes. Now there's nothing wrong with wanting to be a good friend and showing you care, but sometimes you can get in your own way. See, my friend has a bad habit of overbooking. And he's not the only friend I've had with this problem, but I'm just using him as a recent example. So even though we talk over text and I know he genuinely wants to hang out with me, between all of the things he has to do and all of the days he's already planned, we never find the time. Again, this is understandable, but it does kind of get to me sometimes. It makes me feel like he essentially has to "pencil me in" and that I maybe don't make it high enough on the list to warrant a Sunday brunch.

Yes, even I get insecure about things sometimes. I feel a little petty hanging on to this for so long, but it's' just confusing me. I realize this seems like me just ranting, but I feel like there are others that are going through a similar thing and this is me reaching out to commiserate. So I guess the public service announcement here would be don't overbook yourself. Trying to be friends with everyone spreads out you ability to create deep friendships. The more people you try to please, the less time you get with each individual. Are you picking up what I'm putting down here?

So that's all I have to say about this for now. What do you think? Have you experienced this from either end? Comment away!

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Hey everyone! Sorry I've been MIA for a while. I've just been getting my life in order, putting my ducks in a row, whatever you want to call it. I just started my job at Nordstrom (yay!) in the beginning of September, so I've been getting used to the crazy schedule and finding the time for family time, relaxing, and of course blogging! So I'm going to try and get back on my usual track and post more frequently! Starting today!

I want to tell you about Crave Naturals! Crave Naturals is a beauty line that's mission is the give us tools to enhance our natural beauty and make our routines quicker and simpler! The product I received from them is the Eyebrow and Eyelash Kit!

The tools come in super cute packaging that you'll want to hold on to! Inside are two wonderful tools: The first is a double sided brush. One side has a spoolie and the other an angled brow brush. The second is a combination lash comb and brow brush. These tools are great for getting the perfect brows and lashes all in one! First use the brow brush to brush and place your brow hairs. Then with the other tool use the angled brush to apply your brow color. When you're done adding color, simply flip to the spoolie to blend it all in!

The last but just as awesome piece to these tools is the eyelash comb! After applying mascara, just slide the comb through your lashes to get rid of any clumps or the dreaded spider lashes! It's super easy and handy!

I really love having these tools in my makeup kit! It was one of those, "I didn't know how much I needed this" moments and now I'm glad I've found them! Crave Naturals also have several other great products available on Amazon! They also have their own webpage with extra information.

SUPER SPECIAL BONUS!

For reviewing this product, Crave Naturals has been kind enough to offer not only me but also YOU, my readers, a coupon for 25% OFF YOUR ORDER of their products through amazon! So go snag yourself one of these awesome brow kits or try something new! Just go to the Crave Naturals section on Amazon, add your item(s) to your cart, and then enter the code QQMSRCOC ! They would also love to hear from you! Don't forget to write an honest review on their Amazon page once you've tried it out!

Hey! I'm Briana, and this is my blog! I'm 26 years young, Philadelphia born and raised, Myrtle Beach bum, Fashionista from birth! Working my way up in the fashion industry. Follow my adventures in fashion, beauty, and life!